In Re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001

392 F. Supp. 2d 539, 2005 WL 2296673
District Court, S.D. New York·Decided September 21, 2005·No. 03 MDL 1570(RCC), 02 Civ. 6977, 03 Civ. 6978, 03 Civ. 9849·Published·Cited by 38 cases

Opinion

Opinion and Order

CASEY, District Judge.

The Court presumes familiarity with the factual background giving rise to this mul-ti-district litigation. See In re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001, 349 F.Supp.2d 765 (S.D.N.Y.2005) (“Terrorist Attacks I”). Generally, Plaintiffs are representatives, survivors, and insurance carriers of the victims of the attacks of September 11, 2001, who allege, pursuant to various theories of liability including the Antiterrorism Act (“ATA”), 18 U.S.C. § 2331 et seq.; the Alien Tort Claims Act (“ATCA”), 28 U.S.C. § 1350; the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”), 18 U.S.C. § 1961 et seq.; the Torture Victim Protection Act (“TVPA”), 28 U.S.C. § 1350 note; theories of aiding and abetting, civil conspiracy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, survival, wrongful death, trespass, and assault and battery, that Defendants are responsible for those attacks as terrorists, state sponsors of terror, or material sponsors of terror. In Terrorist Attacks I, the Court resolved several motions to dismiss the complaints by various Defendants. Additional motions remain pending before the Court.

Saudi High Commission (“SHC”), HRH Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud (“Prince Salman”), and HRH Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud (“Prince Naif’) move to dismiss the complaints for lack of subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to the FSIA, lack of personal jurisdiction, and failure to state a claim for relief. Immediately prior to the Court’s scheduled oral argument on these motions, the Federal Plaintiffs moved to supplement the record against Prince Salman and Prince Naif.

Defendants Rabita Trust, Wa‘el Jalai-dan, and International Islamic Relief Organization (“URO”) move to dismiss the *547 complaints for lack of personal jurisdiction and failure to state a claim.

Other Defendants move to dismiss the complaints for failure to state a claim. Tarik Hamdi and Abdulrahman Alamoudi move to dismiss the Burnett and Federal complaints. Success Foundation moves to dismiss the Burnett complaint. The Burnett Plaintiffs denominate certain Defendants as the “SAAR Network entities.” The SAAR Network entities, which include African Muslim Agency, Grove Corporate, Heritage Education Trust, International Institute of Islamic Thought (“HIT”), Mar-Jac Investments, Mar-Jac Poultry, Reston Investments, Safa Trust, and York Foundation, move to dismiss the Burnett complaint. HIT also moves to dismiss the Ashton complaint. In addition to its motion to dismiss Burnett, Mar-Jac Poultry moves to dismiss the Ashton and Federal complaints. The Federal Plaintiffs label certain individuals “SAAR Network executives.” These Defendants, including Taha Al-Awani, Muhammad Ashraf, M. Omar Ashraf, M. Yaqub Mirza, Iqbal Unus, and Jamal Barzinji, move to dismiss the Federal complaint.

Finally, Defendant National Commercial Bank (“NCB”) moves for reconsideration of this Court’s denial without prejudice of its motions to dismiss the Ashton and Burnett complaints. The Court resolves all the aforementioned motions in this opinion.

I. Subject Matter Jurisdiction Under the FSIA

Pursuant to the FSIA, a foreign state and its instrumentalities are presumed immune from this Court’s jurisdiction unless one of the statute’s exceptions applies. Robinson v. Gov’t of Malaysia, 269 F.3d 133, 138 (2d Cir.2001). “In contrast to a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim, in a challenge to FSIA subject matter jurisdiction, the defendant must present a ‘prima facie case that it is a foreign sovereign.’ ” Virtual Countries v. Republic of South Africa, 300 F.3d 230, 241 (2d Cir.2002) (quoting Cargill Int’l S.A. v. M/T PAVEL DYBENKO, 991 F.2d 1012, 1016 (2d Cir.1993)). “Then, the plaintiff ‘has the burden of going forward with evidence showing that, under the exceptions to the FSIA, immunity should not be granted.’ ” Virtual Countries, 300 F.3d at 241 (quoting Cargill, 991 F.2d at 1016); see also Terrorist Attacks I, 349 F.Supp.2d at 792-797 (explaining that the possibly relevant exceptions to immunity in this litigation include the commercial activities, torts, and state sponsor of terrorism exceptions). Determining whether this burden is met involves a ‘review [of] the allegations in the complaint, the undisputed facts, if any, placed before [the court] by the parties, and — if the plaintiff comes forward with sufficient evidence to carry its burden of production on this issue^ — [resolution of] disputed issues of fact.’ ” Virtual Countries, 300 F.3d at 241 (quoting Robinson, 269 F.3d at 141). Throughout the inquiry, Defendants retain the burden of persuasion, which they must meet by a preponderance of the evidence. Virtual Countries, 300 F.3d at 241; see also Robinson, 269 F.3d at 141 n. 8.

A. Allegations Against Defendants Asserting Foreign Sovereign Immunity

1. Saudi High Commission 1

In 1993, then-King Fahad bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the President of the Council of *548 Ministers of Saudi Arabia, decreed the formation of SHC, also known as the Saudi High Relief Commission, by High Order 17419. (Ashton Compl. ¶ 446; Burnett Compl. ¶ 392; Federal Compl. ¶ 180; see also SHC Mem. in Sup. Mot. to Dismiss at 3.) The same High Order named Defendant Prince Salman the President of SHC. (Ashton Compl. ¶ 446; Burnett Compl. ¶ 392; SHC Mem. in Sup. Mot. to Dismiss at 3.)

SHC allegedly has contributed $600 million to aid “Bosnian Muslims impoverished by the country’s recent civil war.” (Ash-ton Compl. ¶ 446; Burnett Compl. ¶ 392.) Plaintiffs claim, however, that SHC does not provide support to the needy but actually diverts funds for terrorist activities. (Ashton Compl. ¶ 454; Burnett Compl. ¶ 404.) In support, Plaintiffs allege that Prince Salman received a letter in September 2000 from a Bosnian association claiming SHC did not provide charitable assistance, and that none of the money collected after the fall of Srebrenica in July 1995 actually reached the Srebrenican people. (Ashton Compl. ¶¶ 454-55; Burnett Compl. ¶¶ 404-05; Federal Compl.

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In Re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001, 392 F. Supp. 2d 539, 2005 WL 2296673 (S.D.N.Y. 2005).

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